Pages

Thursday, 27 April 2017

SECTORISATION TYPE 4s

Trio of Class 47s Mark Railfreight's 30th Anniversary

We’re marking a number of anniversaries in the latest issue
of Model Rail this month, including 30 years since the introduction of
Railfreight sectorisation. Marking a radical departure from previous British
Rail practice and livery schemes, the new corporate identity was formulated by
a leading design consultancy – Roundel – who had built up an impressive
portfolio of projects for many leading household names and brands.

While the base livery of triple-grey was not the most
ground-breaking, the various sub-sector logos, rendered in primary colours and
using simple symbols and no wording, was a brave choice. Instantly recognisable
and distinctive, it gave the state-owned railway's freight sector a modern, corporate look. Not surprising really, considering that
privatisation was not far off.

To celebrate the scheme’s 30th birthday, a trio
of Class 47s has been employed to demonstrate how to apply the livery from
scratch or to amend an existing factory finish. There’s plenty of choice
amongst paint and decal suppliers, such is the enduring popularity of this
livery and I’ve used a mix of transfers from Fox, Replica and Railtec. Incidentally,
all etched nameplates, depot plaques and BR logos are from Fox.

My particular favourite is 47311 Warrington Yard. Using a
Bachmann model, already sporting the triple-grey scheme, I removed the Metals
sector logos in favour of pre-faded Railfreight Distribution symbols, courtesy
of Fox Transfers. Warrington Yard was one of my main youthful spotting haunts
and I remember seeing this loco regularly around the turn of the 1990s.
Incidentally, the name was transferred to another '47' soon afterwards, 47311
having suffered an accident and withdrawal.

47079 is also a noteworthy prototype, being one of the
locomotives used during the livery’s launch in October 1987, at Ripple Lane
depot. Having previously been turned out in lined green as part of
the recent GWR 150 event, its sudden repaint caused not a little controversy.
My model depicts ‘079 a few years later, since re-allocated to Cardiff Canton
depot.

See a full demo in the next issue of Model Rail (MR235), out
on 4 May.